Every once in a while I get reminded that there are some parts of Salvation Army culture that would seem very odd to me if I hadn't grown up immersed in it. Most have their roots in the paramilitary "war against sin" format; the uniforms, "ranks" for the "Officer" clergy, calling a church a "corps" and an offering an envelope a "cartridge" (it took me a while to get that joke, since mostly I associated cartridges with Ataris.) Today I was reminded of "Timbrel Brigades"... small groups, mostly young women, who would do synchronized routines with tambourines, most often to some militaristic Salvation Army brass band music (the 'Army has a strong brass band tradition with a lot of marches.) Here's a page on the Playa Ancha Timbrel Brigade with some photos and a little more detail.
Quote of the Moment
I think that past the age of thirty there is no obligation to be clever at all. Cleverness is a burden after that. You are supposed to settle down and be a good person, raise your children, and be good to your friends, which you may not have been back when you were clever.
I need to see, or at least netflix, that Prairie Home Companion movie...
Video of the Moment
A parody but supposedly done by Microsoft employees, iPod packaging as redesigned by Microsoft.... Wickedly amusing and also with some neat insights into the design and layout process:
